Lift Callowell, Stroud
Lift Callowell is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Stroud, part of Lift Schools. It was rated Inadequate at its last graded Ofsted inspection. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 24 schools in Stroud with published results. It was 51% full in 2025.
Data last updated 2 Oct 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Inadequate.
At a Glance
25.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Lift Callowell in detail
Lift Callowell in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday, 12 November 2026; and an open day on Thursday, 19 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Gloucestershire
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Lift Callowell reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
Year groups in primary schools are small, so a handful of pupils can move these figures by several points from one year to the next.
Source: DfE school performance data. Averages are across state mainstream schools.
Getting a place at Lift Callowell
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put Lift Callowell as their first choice and 27 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
Across Gloucestershire, 92% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Gloucestershire lodged 224 appeals against primary school offers; 154 reached a hearing and 54 succeeded (35.1% of those heard).
See every year of applications, offers and cut-offs
Source: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lift Callowell are Whiteshill Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 94% reading, 50% maths); The Rosary Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 67% maths); Cashes Green Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 81% reading, 72% maths); and Randwick Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 90% maths).
Lift Callowell's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Whiteshill Primary SchoolThe Rosary Catholic Primary SchoolCashes Green Primary SchoolRandwick Church of England Primary School
The trust
Lift Callowell is one of 62 schools run by Lift Schools, an academy trust.
Who goes there
24.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (the average state school: 24.5%), and 5.8% speak English as an additional language (average: 18.5%), according to the 2025 school census.
In 2025, 25 pupils (18.2%) received SEN support and 4 (2.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 15.6% and 3.9% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics
Staff and funding
Lift Callowell employed 8 teachers in 2024, roughly one for every 13 pupils. Their average salary was £48,893.
Its 2026 funding allocation works out at £6,245 per pupil (£0.7 million in total), including £40,905 of pupil premium for disadvantaged pupils.
Source: DfE school workforce census; ESFA funding allocations
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stroud (Glos) Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Demand Responsive Area (drt), 120 metres away.
Source: NaPTAN (Department for Transport). Straight-line distances.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lift Callowell stands in is among the 50% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school.
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2023/24, Lift Callowell issued 3 suspensions, 2.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 2.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Source: DfE exclusions statistics
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lift Callowell are Archway School (0.3 miles), Stroud High School (0.5 miles) and Marling School (0.6 miles).
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 67% to 86%. Maths has improved from 67% to 79%. Writing has remained stable at around 71%.
Class Sizes
22.8
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
22.7
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Latest from Lift Callowell
From Lift Callowell's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Getting There
Bus Stops
Commute Calculator
Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply
What are my chances?
Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
64%
Available places
134 pupils
210 capacity
76 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Stroud
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Stroud
Admissions Demand - Gloucestershire
Places available
7,250
Applications
6,016
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.1%
Primary admissions across Gloucestershire (2026/27)
Inspection History
House Prices
Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
21.2%
of Total Pupils
2025 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2025 academic year
Key Indicators
137
Total Pupils
76
Boys
61
Girls
2025 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,893
Mean salary
2024 data
School Funding
£6,245
Per pupil
£731k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.06034%
Overall absence
10.67961%
Persistent absence
103
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Lift Callowell
Questions parents ask about Lift Callowell
What are SATs results like at Lift Callowell?
Of the pupils at Lift Callowell who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths. These are the tests taken in Year 6, at the end of primary school.
Source: DfE school performance data
What is Lift Callowell's Ofsted rating?
Lift Callowell was rated Inadequate at its most recent Ofsted inspection. An inspection judges the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
Source: Ofsted
What is the catchment area for Lift Callowell?
Lift Callowell has no fixed catchment boundary. When the school is oversubscribed, Gloucestershire allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings already at the school, then home-to-school distance. Gloucestershire has not published a last-distance-offered figure for Lift Callowell that we have been able to verify, so the practical cut-off is best judged from the catchment estimate on this page and from the authority's own admissions booklet.
Is it hard to get a place at Lift Callowell?
Lift Callowell was not full in 2025: it ran at 51% of its 210 places. How hard a place is to get in any given year depends on how many families apply, which moves around.
Source: DfE school capacity data
How big are the classes at Lift Callowell?
Classes at Lift Callowell average 22.8 pupils (2024/25). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
Source: DfE class size data
How many pupils go to Lift Callowell?
Lift Callowell has around 137 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals, which is the usual measure of disadvantage in a school's intake.
Source: DfE school census
What is attendance like at Lift Callowell?
6.1% of sessions were missed at Lift Callowell in 2024/25. 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of sessions.
Source: DfE absence statistics
How do I apply to Lift Callowell?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lift Callowell on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Where is Lift Callowell?
Lift Callowell is at Barrowfield Road, Farmhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 4DG.
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